In the field of theology, exegesis – more than the theology suspected of adopting too speculative an approach – was a privileged companion of Paul Ricœur. But within this preference (which he never denied) lie two distinct hermeneutical approaches, which take their turn over time : the first, largely inspired by Mircea Eliade, makes much of the notion of symbol ; the second, grounded in the theory of metaphor, better allows us to see the biblical texts as literature and, thanks to a novel coupling of “the poetic” and “the possible world”, to connect literature and ethics. We will try to show in this paper that this second perspective gives more room than the first to theological discourse and to the dialectic which constitutes theology and exegesis.

Abstract: The opening passage of tractate Avot and its claim that all of the rabbinic tradition goes back to the revelation to Moses at Sinai is frequently seen as the manifesto of rabbinic Judaism. In this paper I seek to challenge this widespread view by suggesting that Avot stems from one circle of rabbinic Judaism, which was related to Rabbi Eliezer or his followers, and it reflects specifically the ideology of that group. Indeed, a close reading of the opening passage of the Tosefta, tractate Eduyot, may suggest that the claim that all of the rabbinic tradition is rooted in Sinai was rejected by the “mainstream” of rabbinic circles in second century Palestine, that is, the rabbinic circles that produced the Mishnah and the Tosefta.

Elisheva Baumgarten, "Charitable like Abigail: The History of an Epitaph," 312-339

Abstract: This article traces the development of a narrative presenting the biblical figure of Abigail as charitable, an idea that is especially evident on early modern tombstones. The article documents different approaches to Abigail and argues that the connection between Abigail and charity originated only in medieval Europe and was a departure from earlier sources. During the Middle Ages, this narrative was introduced by medieval rabbis to justify accepting charity from female donors who contributed to the community without their husbands’ permission, a course of action that was forbidden by law. Subsequently, Abigail and charity became associated in much broader terms and this attribution appeared on early modern and modern tombstones in Germany. These changes are examined against the backdrop of Christian exegesis concerning Abigail and broad connections between the novel Jewish understandings and Christian exegesis are noted. The final part of the article summarizes these developments and discusses the value of locating changing biblical narratives for social historians and especially for scholars interested in the history of women.

Journal of the Bible and its Reception 2:2 (2015)Special issue: Making Men: The Reception of the Bible in the Construction of Masculinities in Jewish and Christian Con/Texts

Peter-Ben Smit / Ovidiu Creangă/ Adriaan van Klinken, "The Reception of the Bible in the Construction of Masculinities in Jewish and Christian Con/Texts," 135-143 (abstract)

Tiffany Webster, "'A Miner Knows Better Than Anybody You Have Little Power Over Mother Nature': Exploring Genesis 1:26–31 and the Concepts of Control and Power with South Derbyshire Coal Miners," 145-174 (abstract)

Kelly J. Murphy, "Masculinity, Moral Agency, and Memory: The Spirit of the Deity in Judges, Samuel, and Beyond," 175-196 (abstract)

Gnosis: Journal of Gnostic Studies is a peer-reviewed publication devoted to the study of Gnostic religious currents from the ancient world to the modern, where 'Gnostic' is broadly conceived as a reference to special direct knowledge of the divine, which either transcends or transgresses conventional religious knowledge. It aims to publish academic papers on: the emergence of the Gnostic, in its many different historical and local cultural contexts; the Gnostic strands that persisted in the middle ages; and modern interpretations of Gnosticism - with the goal of establishing cross-cultural and trans-historical conversations, together with more localized historical analyses.

The corpus of Gnostic materials includes (but is not restricted to) testimonies from outsiders as well as insider literature such as the Nag Hammadi collection, the Hermetica, the Pistis Sophia, the books of Jeu, the Berlin and Tchacos codices, Manichaean documents, Mandaean scriptures, and contemporary Gnostic fiction/film and 'revealed' literature. The journal will publish the best of traditional historical and comparative scholarship while also featuring newer approaches that have received less attention in the established literature, such as cognitive science, cognitive linguistics, social memory, psychology, ethnography, sociology, and literary theory.